I wasn't much of a baseball player, but maybe ask him which position he wants to play. Third base & left field, glove on the right hand. First base & right field, glove on the left.

Other than that, I'm sure you can get a good deal on eBay on the "other" glove. He can use whichever he wants. Either that, or don't make him use one, and let him practice barehand catching and throwing whichever way he wants. At age 6, giving him that sort of balance can only help him later on.

I rowed both port and starboard in college, and I think it helped keep me healthy in the musculo-skeletal sense.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Play a lot of catch without a glove, using a tennis ball or soft baseball and bounce or roll it to him. If you do this every day for a week or two, he'll pick a throwing hand.

I coached T-ball for my two sons and we always had a few kids who took a while to figure out their favored hand.

I wouldn't recommend switch-hitting until at least 11-12 years old. It's hard enough to figure out as it is.

Tough one. Good that he's into a sport though.

Does he have a dominant foot ?
Reason I ask is that I'm pretty ambidextrous too. I play basketball left handed, but a baseball throw is right handed.

If he's like me, a strong throw should come from the same side of the body as the dominant foot. Pinpoint accurate, like darts, comse from the opposite.

Having said that, you'll probably find he will start to exhibit a preference as he gets older.

A dominant eye won't matter too much unless he decides to take up shooting or archery.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

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"Here's how you run a marathon. Step 1: You start running. Step 2: There is no step 2." - Barney (How I Met Your Mother)

Interesting. He does tend to want to throw with his right foot forward (even when throwing right handed).

The cost of the glove isn't a big deal. The one we got was only $10, and I doubt a lefty glove would break the bank either.

I like the idea about playing a lot of catch with no glove, but now he's all excited about his new glove.

I'm probably overstressing this whole thing. I wasn't very athletic as a kid (still no good at traditional sports - come to think, I'm not very good at tri, either!), so I'm not sure how to guide him on this stuff.

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Yes, I too now have a Blog. Don't laugh.

how 'bout this? Stand facing each other - say 5 feet or so apart. He doesn't have a glove on. You have a ball. He stands with both hands at his sides and you toss the ball gently underhand, aiming mid-line. See which hand he catches the ball with. That's the hand that will 'want' to wear the glove. Just a guess here.

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"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare" - Juma Ikangaa

http://www.litespeed.com

Make him a southpaw!!!! please. His pitches will have more action and they will be harder to hit. Plus, there aren't nearly as many lefties playing ball as right handers. He'll have a better shot at going up the ranks if he's any good also.....He'll beat people out with the same skill level simply for being left handed.

I wouldn't recommend switch-hitting until at least 11-12 years old.

I wouldn't go along with that. Here's why ... By 11-12 you already have motor habits formed and likely a dominant eye due to the training of the lead eye while hitting from one side of the plate.

My 5yo hits from both sides of the plate ... and does it rather well (just make sure kids get their hands right on the bat). Why does he switch hit? Because most of when we practice he pretends he's the Cardinals' hitters and well Pujols/Rolen hits right handed and Edmonds/Duncan hits left-handed, ... and then sometimes we're Soriano(R), sometimes we're Dunn (L), sometimes we're A-Rod(R), etc (If you've never done that, I highly recommend it ... I remember it from my childhood, it's a lot of fun). Kids see something and imitate the heck out of it. It's fun for them. He has no interest in throwing left-handed.

IMO, anything athletic is sort of like learning a language ... the earlier you can do it, the better. You don't have to "unlearn" the habits you've already formed.

A dominant arm/leg/side will eventually appear (if that is a concern) ... or ... they'll find a favorite player and just "do what they do". Just keep it fun.

My dad said he bought a righty mit, and my grandfather bought a lefty mit and whenever we practiced we took both gloves, and eventually I just kept picking the lefty mit.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
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Neither would I. Recent motor learning research suggests that your childs "hardwiring" (in a central nervous system sense) is often well into development by this age, and even done by age 10. Skill acquisition is best done at a young age, and it will never, ever hurt him if he learns to throw, jump or swing both ways.

By the time he is 9 or 10, his neural development will have peaked. At this age there is a shift in the brain from synapse creation to a stage of synapse atrophy...basically, the neural pathways to the muscles that that aren't used start to shut down for good, while those that are "transformed by experience" (though skill acquisition and patterning) are preserved. Basically, at thsi critical age for CNS development...use it or lose it.

The key is to preserve those neural passageways until the major onset of physical growth during puberty. Preserve them through practice and patterning, and ensure that they are 'hardwired' into the CNS for good.

He will naturally figure out which is his dominant hand, but until then it's fantastic from a motor skills sense to learn both ways.

I agree with the other poster who said make him a southpaw. Really an advantage in any ball type sport to be a lefty all things equal than a righty.

Grew up playing baseball, and you've got it backwards. You want your 3rd baseman to catch left and throw right because it's hos left leg that moves towards 1st base in the throwing sequence of a right hander. A leftee 3rd baseman would be slower on delivery as his right leg would need to come across the body to throw. Also...protect the field with the glove, not the line.

Same for the 1st baseman, but opposite...a left handed thrower is desirable, otherwise you're turning your back on home plate while stretching for a catch.

So I do. I forgot that it is generally determined, first, by not having to throw across your body and, second, being able to make a play ON THE RUN in foul territory (rather than in your starting position, which is where I got flip-flopped).

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Imagine a lefty third baseman making the on-the-run throw to first from deep in foul territory. It would be the greatest achievment ever.

I think we have a plan for TwinDad. He raises his kid in public as a lefty, and in secret as a righty. Once he makes it to little league, we threaten the coach unless he makes him a 3rd baseman. During a game, he dumps the glove, barehands the ball righty, and throws to first. Blows everyone away. I can see it now, he makes it Cooperstown, all because of our scheming...

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Switch hitting is overrated. There has been a fair amount of research by the SABR/Moneyball types. Sure, we can all come up with great examples of switch-hitters (Mickey Mantle!). But it's basically a gift and it doesn't (statistically) improve overall stats for the vast majority of guys who try it. If you don't have it, it is detrimental to development to keep switching sides of the plate. For every good switch hitter, there are a few dozen who pick one side and stick with it. If a kid wants an advantage at the plate, become a lefty hitter. Throwing left is pretty much hard-wired, but most everybody can learn to hit lefty, especially if they are right-eye dominant. Until the upper minors, left-hand pitching is generally weaker than right.

Quickest paths to big-time ball: Lefty pitchers and catchers with a cannon.

Sweet. ST and science are a deadly combo.

I agree with the other poster who said make him a southpaw. Really an advantage in any ball type sport to be a lefty all things equal than a righty.

Not if he wants to be an infielder, outside of first base .... said as a guy that was a left-handed third-baseman and catcher in Little League & Junior High (pitcher/OF in HS and Coll).

Most of the advantages I had by being left-handed were nullified by high school age (especially in basketball, being able to drive to the basket in the defender's "weak side"). I do admit that being a lefty (and tall) allowed me throw a little slower and get a little more attention from college coaches/scouts. Other than that, such advantages may be "over-rated" (IMO). Most of the dominant pitchers, quarterbacks, hitters, basketball players are STILL right-handed (not sure how the % of each-handed "athletes that make it" compare)

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Recent motor learning research suggests that your childs "hardwiring" (in a central nervous system sense) is often well into development by this age, and even done by age 10.

Gear Grinder ... you just gave an excellent explanantion of why golf is so difficult to get good at when starting as an adult (some might throw swimming into that cetegory).

Imagine a lefty third baseman making the on-the-run throw to first from deep in foul territory. It would be the greatest achievment ever.

Speaking from experience here ... but that would not nearly be as difficult as a lefty 3rd-baseman charging a soft ground ball and "throwing on the run" to 1st base (or fielding bunts). What you described is similar to a left-handed left-fielder moving toward the left-field foul line, fielding a grounder/fly-ball, turning glove-side, and throwing a bullet to second base (that happens). At least on the deep ground ball to 3rd, a lefty could rotate toward their glove side and use their body's momentum into the throw (like pitchers and outfielders are taught to do).

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Remember that pro who had the 6 finger glove. The extra finger worked as the pocket for either hand.

For my money, If I had to chose a side. And, I'm not sure I would. Lefties have big advanage in baseball and tennis. Playing tennis against lefties always required a readjustment of my brain. The spins on the serve were backward. I just effected the reaction time by a splite second, but that made a difference, especially since I returned serve from inside the baseline. Left handed hitters and pitchers are at an advantage, too. If he kept his right hand throwing skills up, too he could play either side of the infield, if he advances to a higher level.

BTW, Brooks Robinson was a natural lefty who taught himself to throw and hit righty, if I remember.??????

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

Switch hitting is overrated.

Sure it is (I agree). It also takes more time to get the same number of swings/work (from each side).

I was just disagreeing on the recommendation against it. Eventually the kid will go with whatever side of the plate they do best at. Realistically, switch-hitters at a young age won't see enough of righties & lefties on the mound to make switch-hitting worthwhile, and I have seen a few talented high schoolers that could be quality switch hitters if they chose to.

But, I do agree, there's a reason there are so few switch-hitters at the higher levels. But, when trying to figure out which side of the plate you're better at in the younger ages, it's harmless ... and can be beneficial.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

The biggest advantage of being left-handed, IMO is in boxing. Everything for your opponent is backwards ... like as you describe in tennis. The advantage in baseball is diminshing. Left-handed hitters are getting better at hitting left-handed pitchers. It can be a disadvantage, most lefties curveballs will actually move over the plate to right-handers. The big advantage is that a lefty's change-up move away from right handers. But, at the highest levels, those guys are basically from another planet.

I will also say this, I don't like the way lefties are coached at the younger levels. They are, too often from what I see, taught to throw too many breaking balls ... due to the stigma that lefty's have "natural movement" and that a lefy's curveball is harder to it (it should be easier to hit for a right-handed batter than a righties curveball ... which, at the younger levels, will actually look as if it is going to hit the batter in the shoulder).

When I was in college, Stanford had an ambidextrous pitcher. If I rmember right he made Sports Illustrated by pitching complete games (plural) of a double-header ... one lefty, one righty.

I'll stop, I'm in danger of ruining of thread. =)

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

True - the "window of opportunity" to learn new skills closes very fast and is essentially gone by the time you reach adulthood. New adult golfers rely on muscle memory - looking for the right feelings swing after swing - whereas a child who learns to swing a club young will be able to thoughtlessly hit it swing after swing.

Look at Michelle Wie and Tiger, and their ages when they learned to play. It's not about "teaching" a child young, but rather "hard-wiring those movements into the CNS" young.

Austria has a great system. They have sportenheims - sports schools for kids - where they taked athletically gifted young children and they move them to a sports school. Here they learn a wide variety of skills, and slowly specialize when they enter puberty. Until then, there are no soccer players, skiers, tennis players, gymnasts, etc...the kids do it all, learn it all, hardwire as many movements as they can, then specialize based on their physical growth.

It's amazing. Some of their world class ski racers that came up through this system also have the skills to be world class soccer players, or tennis players. I've seen these athletes in person, and also toured one of these facilities, and it's really unbelievable.

If you have the option you should have him bat left (no question) and throw right since left handed batters are in much higher demand to face the majority of right handed pitchers, and throwing right will give him many more options defensively (unless he(you) has his heart set on being the next Randy Johnson). Supposedly Bond's dad made the choice to raise him as a lefty, look where it got him, steroids aside...

Does it really matter at that age?

I grew up in baseball dominated house and I was the same way as your son. I eventually ended up being a right handed thrower and i could hit equally well from both sides of the plate. I've always been able to throw with my left hand, just not as hard. The main reason I ended up being a right handed thrower though was due to the fact that it was easier for my dad to teach me the fundamentals as a right hander because that is what he was. One thing I saw also, is a lot of coaches would work more with the right handed throwers then the lefties. The common response to a fundamental question to a lefty would be "just do it the opposite of the right handers."

As a side note, if I learned something that required right or left hand dexterity as a kid, I learned it as a right hander. Later in life I picked things up as a lefty. I shoot a rifle and pistol right handed, but I shoot a shotgun left handed. I kick a football with my left foot, but my right foot is the dominant foot for a soccer ball. I swing golf clubs right handed, but a hockey stick left handed.